Caffeine content in tea and coffee

Many tea or coffee lovers are concerned about the question of where there is more caffeine? This substance is an alkaloid of the purine series, which is produced by many plant species to protect themselves from various insects. When consumed by humans, it has a strong effect on the central nervous system. The following symptoms appear:

the heartbeat accelerates significantly
urination becomes more intense
the pulse rate increases
vascular constriction occurs

Many plant species contain this stimulant in their fruits, leaves and seeds. For example, guarana, holly, chicory, cola. Accordingly, it is also present in our favorite tea drinks. But there is no clear opinion about which of them has a higher content. To determine this, you should get a lot of additional information:

what brand (variety, type, country of origin, etc.)
preparation method (proportion of the mixture used, presence of additional additives)
how long did the brewing process take?

The level of content is directly dependent on the duration of extraction. If the brewing was done for a long time, the level of alkaloid will be much higher than with short-term exposure.

The dosages when consuming caffeinated beverages must be treated very carefully. The volume should be limited to 1000 ml per day, and 300 ml at a time. When the alkaloid level is over 4 g, the body is intoxicated, and this affects the functioning of internal organs. If you drink a dosage of more than 10 g, there is a risk of death. The concentration in the blood increases gradually, and reaches a maximum by the end of the first hour after taking it, and elimination takes about 10 hours.

The amount of caffeine in tea: what does it depend on?

Alkaloids are present not only in coffee blends, but also in natural tea leaves. The percentage of the substrate contained in them depends on many factors, such as variety, quality, preparation method and duration of brewing. The saturation level varies from insignificant to quite impressive.

To a large extent, it depends on how select the raw materials are chosen when making the product. The highest percentage is on the top leaves, and as they decrease, the concentration of invigorating elements also decreases. On the lowest growing shoots, there are less than 1%. It is easy to recognize a good product on a store shelf – products made from high-growing leaves are much more expensive than their analogues. For example, in ” An Ji Bai Chai “, consisting only of the top leaves and buds, the caffeine content will be much higher than, for example, in ordinary “Gunpowder”. The so-called decaffeinated tea varieties are produced using the outermost lower leaves. It is worth noting that they also have their own percentage, although very small.

To understand what has more caffeine in tea or coffee, you need to know the method of processing the raw materials. The fewer processing cycles, the better the product retains vitamins and other components, and the more intensely the elements stimulating the nervous system are released. Based on this, we can conclude that the most saturated are green varieties, because they are processed the least. One serving can contain from 50 to 80 milligrams, which is almost more significant than in black varieties. These data show that green does not always mean a less dangerous and more useful product.

The cooking method also matters

Regardless of the grade, the level of caffeine-alkaloid can be increased or decreased by the brewing method. It is released much more strongly from the mixture when using high-temperature water. If you use not too hot liquid, then most of it is preserved in the leaves. But this only works with green varieties, black cannot be prepared without boiling water, so it turns out more saturated.

Concentration is of great importance: the more you pour into a cup, the higher the level of active elements. The optimal amount for green tea is 4-7 grams per serving, and for black tea – half as much. Although a lot depends on the leaves, many popular brands have different percentages for the same volume. The strength will be much lower if there are many flavors in the composition.

Useful data

Initially, it was believed that the leaves and grains contained different tonic substances. The former contained alkaloid tannins, and the latter contained a full-fledged alkaloid caffeine. Active tannins were discovered in tea leaves back in the 19th century and were classified as a separate species.

Only 100 years later, scientists came to the conclusion that it was the same coffee alkaloid. But the effect on the body was different, so studies were conducted to find the reason for this difference. It turned out that “coffee” activity of a person is shorter, but more intense than “tea”. Brewed beans have a short-term stimulating effect, while the leaves tone for a long period of time, and in addition quench thirst and refresh. Thanks to these properties, tea drinking traditions have been popular all over the world for thousands of years.

Where is the concentration higher: in tea leaves or coffee beans

If you consciously and moderately consume caffeine-containing products, their effect on the body will be positive. The main problem is that their effect on each person can vary significantly, depending on individual characteristics and condition. For some, half a cup of cappuccino is enough to perk up, while others will not feel the effect even from two stronger espressos. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the actual content of stimulating elements in each type.

Find out how much caffeine in a cup of tea and coffee from the detailed table below:

Name		Cup volume in ml.	Content in mg.
Coffee	Ground	250	100-200
	Soluble		80-100
	Decaffeinated		3-5
Tea	Black		45
Tea	Green		70

What drinks can be used as a substitute?

Ivan-tea contains a minimum amount of alkaloids, but has a whole list of useful components. All of them have a beneficial effect on human health. The level of vitamins C and B in the mixture based on this plant is very high (even compared to oranges, lemon and other traditional sources). Also in the composition there are quickly digestible proteins, and the percentage of harmful acids (purine, uric, oxalic and others) is extremely low.

Other alkaloid-free herbal infusions (based on linden, chamomile ) also have beneficial properties, and their use has a positive effect on a person’s physical condition. They can be prepared by hand, purchased at a pharmacy or a specialized store. The search for alternative invigorating blends is simply necessary in cases where the daily dose of use approaches the 1000 mark.

There are also special products that are made using the decaffeination procedure. These are regular mixtures with a minimum percentage of content. Some of the representatives of this line differ slightly in taste characteristics, and also have an identical aroma and color. The cost and quality of a particular product will affect the compliance of the product with the classic options.

What effect does it have on the human body?

As we have already said, the concentration in the finished coffee product depends on the brewing time. The longer the extraction takes, the higher the percentage of extracted alkaloid elements. People use this to stimulate the nervous system and gain new strength. People under such influence experience an increase in heart rate, narrowing of blood vessels, and acceleration of the pulse. But the beneficial effect cannot be separate from the side effects, so you need to monitor the dosage of consumption. Exceeding the recommended dose of 4 g can negatively affect the work of the heart muscle and other internal organs.

Caffeine Content in Tea and Coffee – Comparison Chart

Name		Serving (ml/g)	Average content (mg)
Coffee	Natural	250	170
	Soluble		100
	Decaffeinated		5
	Espresso	30	50
Tea	Black	250	45
	White		55
	Green		70
Power engineer			85
Chocolate (dark)		100	40
Chocolate ice cream			35
Lemonades and sodas		330	35
Iced tea in bottles			20
Hot chocolate		240	10

All figures in this table are average values and may differ both upward and downward. This depends on the specific name, quality of the product and method of preparation (we wrote about all these nuances above). The range between the maximum and minimum values can reach 50%.

Comparison of content in different varieties

Black

In this product, the amount of tannins-alkaloids can reach 70 mg (on average 45) per serving. In this parameter, it is inferior to brewed ground coffee by almost 3 times. But it is worth considering the degree of concentration of the mixture in the cup, as well as the duration of brewing and grade, because the values may change depending on these factors. Note that in addition to stimulating crystals, this type contains useful antioxidants that have a beneficial effect on the vital functions of the human body. In combination with them, the effect becomes softer and longer.

Green

The average values of the most saturated representative of tea products are 15-25 percent higher than those of the black analogue. According to these criteria, it can compete even with instant types, but subject to certain conditions. To achieve the maximum effect of vivacity, we recommend increasing the brewing time and using varieties without flavorings. This will further increase the strength.

White

There is a common myth that this variety does not contain alkaloids, and the content of useful antioxidants in it is higher than anywhere else. However, this is a misconception, because there are many white varieties, in which the spread is very large. One cup can contain from 15 to 75 mg. Therefore, it is difficult to assign this variety a position in the list, relative to its brothers. Nominally, we place it between black and green, taking into account the average values.

Decaffeinated

The name of this type is not quite correct, because it still contains its share of caffeine, although not as significant as in the classic subspecies. Modern methods of extracting alkaloids from the mixture do not allow one hundred percent to get rid of them. Therefore, one serving of 250 ml accounts for about 0.005 grams.